AUSTRALIAN LABOUR TROUBLES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 116, 14 May 1903, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR TROUBLES.

THE STRIKE BREAKING UP. -—— 0 Drivers Offering to Resume Work. . Offers of Volunteers. (Per United Press Association.)

Melbournb, May 13. There will be no Address-in-Re ply at tha opening of Parliament, but tho Government will ask members to proceed to bu«ims3 immediately. Tho Premier declines to make known his propoea'e, but it is believed that the Government will introduce a Bill making it an offence for S'ate employee to strike. The Bill, it is stated, will not have a retrospective effect. The Cabinet Committee which was I appointed to deal with the situatior, satisfaction at the progress of events, and are confident of eaily sue ess. The Government is determined to show no wavei ing. lha Premier states that if the signalmen strike it will not affect tha running of trains. Last night, the time given for the executiv a of the railway societies to withdraw from the Trades Hall or resign their positions, expired. During the afternoon two members tf th« Ama'gamated Sxie'y wrote to the Commissioner intimating that they had obeyed the order to resign. The other eight m-mbeis of the they, with the executive officers of the engineer?, firem'-ri, carrnge builde-s, and two remaining officers of the Daily Paid Uuioa will be removed from tha service. Development inconnec'ion with the signalmen are anxiously awaited. Thay hell a conferenca at midnight, and a definite plan of action was agreed upon, 8 wh'ch i 1; i* believed will probably re- " suit in the signalmen ceasing work vary a shortly. 6 The railway mileage run yesterday ° was 2700 miles, compared with 1400 ' on the pr-.vious day. ' In response to the call for volunteers II the R ilw .y Department has already received ab)ut 1000 ofTers from all classes of the commuoi'y. Bevera' 9 firms havJ offered the Government tbe e services of their engineers and fi'/e-s. r The Acting - Agent-G moral cabled y from London that the leading financial j authorities are thoroughly in sympathy withTlie stand taken by the Government, aud hope they will ba entirely successful. j, The strikers continue to reciive many promises of support, and messages urging them to remain firm. The mora promising indications tf an r . early resumption of a mcderate service U having iti effect on trade, and the business people are more cheerful. The j high prices for most commodities have e eased sam-wha\ Milk and firewood , are thi ooly two linis whieh retain <sreat at present. There are ample food snpplie3 of potatoes and 0 some o'.htr leading lln:s, despite the .. want of r>il*ay facilities. Received 13, 6,14 p m. ' Sixteen drivers hava returned to work, The whole body of s'rikars in an im - portant provincial centre telegraphed 1 the Commissioner of Railways to-day offering to resume work. another manifesto. GOVERNMENT CHARGED WITH 3 HOSTILITY. ii '' IMPROVED TRAIN SERVHE. ! Received 13, 10.12 p.m. : Melbourne, May 13, ) The- strikers to-day issue! another manifesto dealing with their grievii ince3. It conclules: —" We ofiered the Premier at previous interviews a ia fair proposal that he should meet us in u ipea Oorference, and untrammelled, if but he rejected the p-oposil as he ie wished to us first and then meet us afterwards, which praotieally ie meant that we should trust ourselves to a Goveroment that has been con--1 sisten'ly hostile to us, and never lost 1 an opportunity to malign us as employees. Oar previous manifesto being interpreted as a sign of weakness, we take this opportunity of denying the imputation, and reiterating that we are as firm as ever." Tna secretary and president of the Amalgama'ed Society and the carriage buildere, in order to pive the way for j an action at law against the Govern•a ment, waited upon the Cammifsioner ie this morning, and were informed their ,s services were not required. The train services both to tbe suburbs it and country were further improved i to-day, 31 diivera being actually emd ployed. Six country trains were de--1 spitched and seven arrived, Four were it also run on country branch lines. ° PARLIAMENT OPENED, ° GOVERNOR'S BPESOH, Received 13,10.32 p.m. Melbourne, May 13. The opsning of the special session of Parliament was carried out with the simplest ceremony on record in the his'ory ef the S;ate. Despite tha proclamation against 10 stivet gathering, a large crowd assemb'ed at the entrance of the Exhibition Building, wh=re the State Parliament . is now housed, to watch the arrival of the Governor, but no demonstration was made. The Governors spefch consisted of a couple of sentence, " I have called you e together aftnr a very brief recess, in order to ob'ain your advise on a matter n i of mos 1 : pressing urgency. My <idvipers purpose Kubmir.'i'ig to you immediately 11 a meiburo to deal wi'h thes'rike which now, unhappily, exis'.s ia the railway ' e servico." it lTHE ENTERPRISING AOE. 10 THE PREMIGR EXPLAINS THE I'OUTION. A LONG MEDITATED REVOLT. Received 14, 0 35 a.m. Melbourne, May 12. The stoppage on the railways placad i 6 a formidable obstacle in the way of cirt cul-tting tho metropolitan dailies. The Aye succeeded in getting its papors to y Bal'arat on tho morning succeeding the ;o striko by despatching a epechl steamer ■ 9 to Goelor.g and thence to Hallarac by HiOi/ir ca>\ Ths paper" worn a;»*rly pnrclittso'l up to half a-ornwrt •; pioco, j Tto Tr.id.-n H:ili Ins r«it cftived a cibl« i'lvm lli.> Si;fti\.t.*rv nf it (ho Poiloisited Tr idos Union iu Loudon wishing ovory success,

Received 14,0.40 am. Mklbouahi, May 18. Barricades were crceUd in tbtf vid» nity cf the Exhibi ion buildirg*, and * strong force of police placed on duty. The Premier, on rin'rg, waa loudly cheered by a very full House. He mid he iiiter.df <1 to e*k leave to iutrodae* • hlk rt JJill d<tiling with the ttrikfc . Government bad token tction on tb« h'rer;gtli of tho Act fasstd by ibs llouse tnaWiug tUe Miuicter todlmil thHtac sitain \xiYo.y ehou'd becurU4 out. The G vcroai'rit directed tb* ittilwsy tei van's 'o tlr-y tbe liwforlid ling puMi: sem.nts to aaiociaU with a poli ical body, and, aa a raault, they now Ind to de->l with a long meditated re vol". He rcapitulated tb( eveots leading up to the strike, and said he we at to meet tbe men with * sincere and earnest d< site to prevent by any m'ars short of abiolutl surren'lrr, the catastrophe which had occurr'd. I a order to gain their endr, the men were prcpired to forM Pariiiment and tbe country on their knees to petition ttem to take charge of S'ato prf to wrench by violence from the publio what they could cot get constitutionally. Anything short of complete victory mem' absjlu'e disas'er and dialo* cation of Parliamentary Gjvernment< I; had bean said that mi material Action precipi'atid the strike, but ha paintol oat that six month) ago the men thraa- , tened to strike because they wer« atkad to share in the retrenchment forced upon ' all sections of the publio by the atataof the ficances, Conciliation was impoa* sible now, but, as many of tbe men had been misled, the Govarnment thought there should be room for re pen tana *• Room could not, however, be left for over, and it was only by compete and abs lu'o submitsion to the department and the public they hid injurtd. that they could hope to be taken baok into ; gr :co or favour by those they injured, at a Government which represented them. He svid the G )vernment were asking I the House to give p3wen.to bring the s rike to a successful termination. If they failed, cither through want of de- . termination or wmt of support of Parliament, it wou'd be disutroua, not , only to the fu'ure government of Vie* oria, bu"; to tha other Stitei of Australia. The Government would deal ; with it finally and effectively. Same , foolish persons advocated conoilittioot ! but anyone who urged conciliation at , Much a time as the present j ined them* , selves with those opposing the Qovern- . mont. Mr Ir vine then r«ad tie pre* amble of the proposed Bill, whieh | stated the necessity of suppressing the i strike, Hon. A, J. Peacock, leader.of the Opposition, followed the Premier. He said he admired the splendid action of i the Premier, and insisted that the Government must rule when constituted authority was threatened. He wished i to unve an amendment which, while regretting what the men had doie, directed that th-y be ordered to retaro to work forthwith, and if this were done Parliament would consider their grievance. He hope something of this sort would ba done to save wide* spread distress jand misery. The men must g've in, but be hoped even at the eleventh h.ur a chance would be given them. TII3 P.emi .r shook his head in ree* . ponse to Mr Peao >ck'a proposal. Mr Bromley declared the Govern* [ ment wished the men should have DO rights. Th ir association with the Tradei Hall for 17 years hid done no barm. The Government was reepon* | sible for tha strike, but the Govern* meat's puppets, the Employers Union, > Riforn Leagues, and other aimilar i bodies advocated conciliation. The debate is proceeding. Ddttils of the Bill have not ye 1 , been . disclosed. Important developments are possible | to morrow as the result of Parliament'* ) meating. ' TRADE IMPROVISO. | INSTRUCTING THE D8IVBB& Reoelved 14,1.17 a.m. Sydney, May 13. A train Uft for Albury to-day with mails and passengers and expects to connect with one to Melbiurae del* 1 patched to-day. Melbourne, May IS. Traffio is bnog couducted without t ' hitch. The number of psssengers if ' daily increasing. Professor Kernot is ins'ructicg thf drivers in the übo of the Westinghouse brake. Business in all directions if very slow, only immediate demands being supplied. The price of chaff has fkUen from ' eight to six pounds. Other lines show i signs of eaaag. i Small onsignments of batter tod other perishable product were forwarded ; by country trains to-day. Despite tbe fact that the statement cam i from an official source, the strike ; I leaders deny defections amongst the ' men.